1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connection unit for connecting two units which are spatially removed from each other, the unit having at least one connecting line. The invention also relates to the use of such a connection unit in a medical workplace for connecting two spatially separated medical units.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The connection of two spatially separated units, such as the electrical connection of two electrically operated units by means of electrical cables, is well known. The electrical cables which connect the units are either laid permanently between the units (i.e., the cables can not be manually removed, or can be removed only with difficulty) or they are fixed against a wall with clamps, for example, or the cables are free (i.e. they do not have any mounts at all).
German OS 36 16 649 describes a cable harness which is provided for integration in a household device and which comprises cable bundles, which are joined to cable confiners at discrete points. The cable confiners, in the form of injected-molded plastic rings, are provided with fixing elements by means of which the cable harness can be fixed at walls of the household device, for example.
German PS 42 07 666, corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 5,377,939, teaches a device for fixing structural elements which has at least two enclosure elements for fixing the structural elements. The enclosure elements can be fixed to an assembly surface by means of pin-shaped connecting elements which extend through the enclosure elements. Each pin-shaped connecting element has an expanding head at one end, which can be inserted into a locking element that is arranged in a bore of the assembly surface. The end of a connecting element situated opposite the expanding head is provided with a thread which engages a nut. A tightening of the nut effects a longitudinal displacement of the connecting element, thereby effecting the expansion of the locking element in the bore and thus fixing the device at the assembly surface. The enclosure elements are also held against each other, thereby fixing the structural elements between the enclosure elements.
In specific fields of application, for example in the operating room of a hospital, this fixed type of connection of two medical units can prove disadvantageous or unsuitable, to the extent that the course of the fixedly laid cable can not be adapted to different situations, for example, to the varied spatial orientation of the two medical units to be connected. Furthermore, due to their being fixed, the cables can be sterilized only with difficulty, if at all. Free cables are easier to sterilize and, due to their lack of being fixed, can (within certain limits) be adapted to varied situations with respect to their course, but they can not generally be held as desired relative to the units to be connected. The cables are therefore often located in the area of movement of people, where they have a disruptive effect.